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230 He'll take offence, and go off. Come! Be serious. I want to see whether we can get a communication."

Lancelot controlled his mirth.

The doctor asked, "Have—you—a—communication—for—any—person—here?"

Three raps.

"For whom? Now write, Mr. Ormizon A—b—c—"

After the doctor had repeated pretty nearly the entire alphabet three times running, the monosyllable "you" was found written upon Ormizon's paper.

"Me?" she queried.

The table rapped in the affirmative.

"Oh, isn't this exciting!" she cried, all aglow with expectancy and pleasure. "Isn't this splendid!"

For the next five or ten minutes she was kept busy saying her a-b-c's. In the end the communication proved to be,—

"You needn't holler so at me. I ain't deef."

Lancelot had another convulsion.

The doctor's physiognomy expressed her sorrow, her disappointment. Making the best of it, however, she demanded, in a subdued voice, "Is—that—all?"

"No," the table answered, rapping twice.

"All right A—b—c—"

This communication was a lengthy one. But by and by, after an eternity of spelling, it was complete:

"Wall, I vum! You say your letters fuss-rate. Where ju learn um? I am a weird, clammy, cross-eyed crittur. Ugh! E pluribus unum. Three cheers for Mary, three for the lamb. I am thy father's ghost. Hooray!"

The punctuation was the result of a joint effort on the part of the doctor and Ormizon.

"Oh, pshaw!" sighed the doctor. "How provoking!"

"Oh, what nonsense!" cried Denise. "Some one is cheating. It is—I am sure it is Mr. Ormizon."

"No; on my word of honor," protested Ormizon, "I am as innocent as you are yourself."

"Oh, no; nobody is cheating," said the doctor. "They often do send these absurd messages. It is supposed to be due to some imperfection in the conditions Well—is—that—all?"

"Tap—tap—tap," replied the table.

"Have—you—a—communication—for—any—other—person—here?"

"Tap—tap—tap."

"For—whom? A—b—c—"

The result was: "Denise."

"Oh, no!" Denise exclaimed, starting up. "I do not wish to receive any communication. No; this is too horrible. Please—I beg of you—let us stop it. I know I shall not be able to sleep a wink all night, if we go on. Please, Isabel, let us stop at once. It is so—oh-h!"